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Brain Injury Lawsuit Timeline in New York

Understanding the timeline for a brain injury lawsuit in New York is critical for protecting your legal rights and maximizing your potential compensation. Brain injury cases are among the most complex personal injury claims, often taking years to resolve due to the severity of injuries, extensive medical treatment, and substantial damages involved. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, knowing what to expect at each stage of the legal process can help you make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Brain Injury Cases in New York?

New York law establishes strict deadlines for filing personal injury lawsuits, including those involving traumatic brain injuries. Under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR) § 214(5), injury victims have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in civil court. This three-year period applies to most brain injury cases arising from car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, assault, or other negligence.

The statute of limitations serves as an absolute deadline in most circumstances. If you attempt to file your lawsuit after the three-year window has closed, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case, regardless of how strong your evidence is or how severe your injuries are. This makes it essential to consult with an experienced brain injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident.

According to the New York State Unified Court System, the statute of limitations begins on the day of the injury and lasts for exactly three years. Missing this deadline typically results in permanent loss of your right to pursue compensation through the courts.

Important Exceptions to the Three-Year Rule

New York law recognizes several situations where the standard three-year statute of limitations may be extended or modified. Understanding these exceptions can be critical to protecting your legal rights.

Special Requirements for Claims Against Government Entities

If your brain injury resulted from the negligence of a government entity such as New York City, New York State, a county, town, village, school district, or public hospital, significantly shorter deadlines apply. According to New York General Municipal Law § 50-e, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days after the claim arises.

This Notice of Claim is a formal, sworn written statement that informs the government entity of your intention to file a lawsuit. It must include specific information about the incident, your injuries, and the damages you’re seeking. After filing the Notice of Claim, you must wait at least 30 days before filing the actual lawsuit, and you have only 1 year and 90 days from the date of the incident to file the lawsuit in court.

Missing the 90-day Notice of Claim deadline can be fatal to your case. While courts have discretion to permit late filing in certain circumstances, this requires a formal application demonstrating good cause and is not guaranteed.

Why Do Brain Injury Lawsuits Take So Long to Resolve?

Brain injury cases are among the longest-running personal injury claims, often taking substantially longer than cases involving broken bones, soft tissue injuries, or other non-catastrophic harm. Several factors unique to traumatic brain injuries contribute to extended timelines.

The Need to Reach Maximum Medical Improvement

The most significant factor affecting timeline is the need to understand the full extent of your injuries and their long-term impact on your life. Brain injuries often involve progressive symptoms that may not fully manifest for months or even years after the initial trauma. Cognitive impairments, memory problems, personality changes, seizures, and other complications can emerge gradually as the brain attempts to heal.

According to research from brain injury rehabilitation specialists, many traumatic brain injury patients do not reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) until 12 to 24 months after their injury. MMI is the point at which your medical condition has stabilized and further significant improvement is unlikely. Settling your case before reaching MMI can be financially devastating because it’s nearly impossible to accurately calculate future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and long-term care needs.

Complex Medical Evidence Requirements

Proving the full extent of a brain injury and its impact on your life requires extensive medical documentation and expert testimony. Unlike a broken arm that shows clearly on an X-ray, brain injuries often involve subtle cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes that require sophisticated diagnostic testing and expert interpretation.

Brain injury cases typically require testimony from multiple medical experts, including neurologists, neuropsychologists, physiatrists, occupational therapists, and life care planners. Coordinating schedules, obtaining records, preparing reports, and conducting depositions with multiple experts adds significant time to the litigation process.

High-Stakes Negotiations and Liability Disputes

The substantial value of brain injury claims means insurance companies and defendants fight aggressively to minimize payouts. According to data from New York traumatic brain injury verdicts, serious TBI cases in New York often result in settlements and verdicts ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

With such high stakes involved, defendants and their insurance carriers typically dispute liability, challenge the severity of injuries, argue about causation, and employ various delay tactics. These disputes extend the timeline as both sides gather evidence, depose witnesses, consult experts, and engage in protracted settlement negotiations.

Complete Timeline: From Injury to Resolution

Understanding each phase of a brain injury lawsuit helps set realistic expectations and allows you to participate effectively in your own case. While every case is unique, the following timeline represents the typical progression of a New York brain injury claim.

Phase 1: Immediate Response and Medical Treatment (Days 1-90)

The first priority after any brain injury is obtaining appropriate medical care. Whether you visit an emergency room, urgent care facility, or your primary care physician, seeking immediate medical attention creates critical documentation linking your injuries to the accident. Delays in treatment give insurance companies ammunition to argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as claimed or resulted from some other cause.

During this initial period, your focus should be on following all medical advice, attending appointments, and documenting symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injury caused approximately 214,110 hospitalizations in 2020 and contributed to about 69,473 deaths in 2021, highlighting the serious nature of these injuries.

While receiving treatment, you should also consult with a qualified brain injury attorney as soon as possible. Many law firms offer free initial consultations to evaluate your case. Early attorney involvement ensures critical evidence is preserved, witnesses are identified, and legal deadlines are protected.

Phase 2: Attorney Investigation and Evidence Gathering (Months 1-6)

Once you retain an attorney, they will conduct a thorough investigation of your accident. This includes obtaining police reports, interviewing witnesses, photographing accident scenes, reviewing surveillance footage, consulting with accident reconstruction experts, and gathering all available documentation related to your injuries and treatment.

Your attorney will also begin collecting evidence of your damages, including medical bills, employment records, wage statements, and documentation of how your injuries have affected your daily life. This foundation of evidence becomes crucial during both settlement negotiations and litigation.

If your case involves a government entity, your attorney must file the Notice of Claim within 90 days. The government entity then typically has 30 days to schedule a hearing where you may be questioned under oath about your injuries and the circumstances of your accident.

Phase 3: Continued Medical Treatment and Reaching MMI (Months 6-24)

For many brain injury victims, this phase represents the longest period of the case timeline. You’ll continue receiving medical treatment, which may include neurology appointments, cognitive therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, mental health counseling, and various other rehabilitative services.

Your attorney will monitor your medical progress while preparing the legal aspects of your case. Most experienced brain injury attorneys recommend waiting until you reach Maximum Medical Improvement before initiating settlement negotiations or filing a lawsuit, unless the statute of limitations forces earlier action.

During this phase, your attorney may retain medical experts to review your records, assess the permanency of your injuries, and provide opinions about future care needs. These expert opinions become essential for calculating the full value of your claim.

Phase 4: Demand Letter and Initial Negotiations (Months 12-18)

Once you’ve reached MMI or your attorney determines it’s appropriate to initiate settlement discussions, your attorney will prepare a comprehensive demand letter. This document outlines the facts of your case, details your injuries and treatment, presents the legal basis for liability, and requests a specific settlement amount to compensate you for all damages.

The demand letter includes supporting documentation such as medical records, bills, employment records, expert reports, and evidence of pain and suffering. According to research on personal injury settlements, a well-documented demand backed by strong evidence significantly improves settlement outcomes.

After receiving the demand, the insurance company will investigate the claim, review the documentation, and typically respond with a counteroffer. Initial offers are usually substantially lower than the demand amount. This begins a back-and-forth negotiation process that can take weeks or months.

According to data from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, mediation resulted in a settlement rate of 65% in 2022, demonstrating the effectiveness of structured settlement discussions.

Phase 5: Filing the Lawsuit and Preliminary Proceedings (Months 18-24)

If settlement negotiations fail to produce a fair offer, your attorney will file a lawsuit in the appropriate New York court. For most personal injury cases, this means filing in the Supreme Court in the county where the accident occurred or where the defendant resides.

The lawsuit begins with a Summons and Complaint, which formally notifies the defendant of the claims against them. The defendant has a limited time (typically 20-30 days) to file an Answer responding to the allegations. After the Answer is filed, the court schedules a preliminary conference.

At the preliminary conference, the judge meets with attorneys from both sides to discuss the case, set deadlines for discovery, and establish a timeline for completing various stages of litigation. The judge signs a preliminary conference order that creates a roadmap for the litigation process.

Phase 6: Discovery Process (Months 24-36)

Discovery is the formal evidence-gathering stage of litigation where both sides investigate the other’s claims and defenses. This phase is often the longest and most intensive part of a brain injury lawsuit. According to research on New York personal injury litigation, the discovery phase typically lasts 6 months to 1 year, though complex brain injury cases often require longer.

Discovery includes several components:

During discovery, the defense may also require you to undergo an Independent Medical Examination (IME) with a physician of their choosing. Despite the name, these examinations are rarely truly independent, as the physicians are hired by the defense and often provide opinions favorable to the insurance company. However, refusing to attend an IME can result in dismissal of your case.

Phase 7: Mediation and Settlement Conferences (Months 30-40)

As discovery nears completion, courts typically require the parties to attempt settlement through mediation or settlement conferences. Mediation involves a neutral third-party mediator who facilitates discussions between both sides in an attempt to reach a voluntary resolution.

According to statistics from New York courts, mediation typically resolves cases in 3-6 months and has a success rate of approximately 60-65%. Even if initial mediation doesn’t result in settlement, the parties often continue negotiating as trial approaches, and many cases settle literally on the courthouse steps before jury selection begins.

Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that only about 3% of civil cases ever go to trial, with the vast majority settling before trial.

Phase 8: Trial Preparation (Months 36-48)

If settlement efforts fail, both sides prepare for trial. This involves finalizing expert witness testimony, preparing trial exhibits, drafting motions in limine to exclude certain evidence, conducting jury research, and developing trial strategy.

Trial preparation is expensive and time-consuming. Your attorney may spend hundreds of hours preparing witnesses, creating demonstrative exhibits, researching legal issues, and developing arguments. Expert witnesses often charge thousands of dollars for trial preparation and testimony.

The court will schedule a trial date, though these dates are often adjourned or postponed due to court congestion, scheduling conflicts, or last-minute settlement discussions.

Phase 9: Trial (Weeks to Months)

Brain injury trials in New York typically last anywhere from several days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case and the number of witnesses. The trial proceeds through several stages:

• Jury selection: Attorneys question potential jurors to select an impartial jury
• Opening statements: Each side previews their case for the jury
• Plaintiff’s case: Your attorney presents evidence, calls witnesses, and establishes liability and damages
• Defense case: The defendant presents their evidence and challenges your claims
• Closing arguments: Final chance for attorneys to persuade the jury
• Jury deliberation: The jury reviews evidence and reaches a verdict
• Verdict: The jury announces their decision and any damage award

According to New York verdict data, jury awards in personal injury cases have a median value of $287,628, significantly higher than the national median of $34,550. This reflects both the severity of injuries typically litigated in New York and the state’s favorable legal climate for injury victims.

Phase 10: Post-Trial and Appeals (Months 48-60+)

After a verdict, the losing party has the right to appeal if they believe legal errors affected the outcome. Appeals can add years to the timeline and require substantial additional legal work. Even if you win at trial, you may need to wait months for the judgment to become final and for the defendant or their insurance company to pay.

In cases where the defendant appeals, you may not receive compensation for an additional 1-3 years while the appellate courts review the case.

How Long Do Brain Injury Cases Typically Take in New York?

Based on data from multiple sources and experience with New York brain injury litigation, here are realistic timelines for different case outcomes:

According to research compiled from New York personal injury attorneys, the average brain injury case that settles takes 18 months to 3 years from the date of injury to final resolution. Cases that go to trial typically take 3-5 years, and cases involving appeals or complex liability issues can extend beyond 5 years.

Factors That Can Speed Up or Slow Down Your Case

While the general timeline provides a framework, numerous factors influence how quickly your specific brain injury case will resolve.

Factors That May Speed Up Resolution

• Clear liability: Undisputed fault (such as a drunk driver or obvious premises defect) eliminates one major source of delay
• Adequate insurance coverage: When the defendant has sufficient insurance to cover damages, settlement becomes more likely
• Well-documented injuries: Comprehensive medical records and expert opinions reduce disputes about injury severity
• Motivated defendant: Some defendants want to resolve cases quickly to avoid negative publicity or ongoing legal costs
• Realistic expectations: Plaintiffs with reasonable settlement demands based on actual damages facilitate faster resolution
• Efficient attorney: Experienced brain injury lawyers with adequate resources can move cases forward more quickly
• Client cooperation: Attending medical appointments, responding promptly to attorney requests, and appearing for depositions prevents delays

Factors That May Cause Delays

• Disputed liability: Disagreements about who caused the accident require extensive investigation and potentially litigation
• Multiple defendants: Cases involving several potentially liable parties create coordination challenges and increase complexity
• Insufficient insurance: When damages exceed available coverage, collection becomes complicated
• Defense tactics: Some insurance companies employ delay strategies hoping plaintiffs will accept lower settlements due to financial pressure
• Complex medical issues: Rare complications, conflicting medical opinions, or causation disputes extend timelines
• Government defendants: Claims against municipalities often involve additional procedural requirements and governmental immunity defenses
• Criminal proceedings: If the injury resulted from a crime, civil cases often wait for criminal prosecution to conclude
• Bankruptcy: If the defendant files bankruptcy, your lawsuit may be stayed pending bankruptcy resolution
• Missing documents: Gaps in medical treatment or lost records create evidentiary challenges
• Court congestion: Busy court dockets in metropolitan areas can delay trial dates by months or years. New York courts, particularly in New York City and surrounding counties, face significant case backlogs that can affect your timeline. Courts prioritize criminal cases over civil matters, and personal injury trials often face delays due to judicial resources being diverted to other cases. Your attorney has no control over court scheduling, though they can work to ensure your case remains ready to proceed when a trial date becomes available.

Should You Accept an Early Settlement Offer?

Insurance companies frequently make settlement offers shortly after brain injury accidents, sometimes within weeks or months of the incident. While these offers may seem attractive, particularly if you’re facing financial pressure from medical bills and lost income, accepting too quickly can be a costly mistake.

Why Insurance Companies Make Early Offers

Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize claim payouts. They know that brain injury victims who haven’t fully recovered often don’t understand the long-term implications of their injuries. Early settlement offers take advantage of this lack of information.

Insurance companies also know that victims facing financial hardship may feel pressured to accept any offer just to pay bills. By presenting an early offer as generous while the victim is vulnerable, insurers often secure settlements for a fraction of what cases are truly worth.

The Danger of Settling Too Early

Brain injuries frequently involve delayed complications that don’t manifest until months or years after the initial trauma. You may appear to be recovering well initially, only to develop seizures, cognitive impairment, personality changes, chronic headaches, or other debilitating symptoms later.

Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you typically cannot reopen your case or seek additional compensation if your condition worsens. The insurance company’s release language generally prevents any future claims related to the accident, regardless of what complications develop.

Consider a hypothetical example: You suffer a brain injury in a car accident and initially recover well enough to return to work. The insurance company offers $100,000 to settle your claim. You accept, thinking you’re fine. Six months later, you begin experiencing severe memory problems, chronic migraines, and depression that force you to stop working. You now face hundreds of thousands in future medical costs and lost wages, but you signed away your right to additional compensation.

When Early Settlement May Make Sense

In rare circumstances, early settlement may be appropriate:

• You suffered a very minor brain injury with complete documented recovery
• You’ve returned to work at full capacity with no ongoing symptoms
• Multiple independent medical experts confirm no risk of long-term complications
• The settlement offer is genuinely fair and accounts for all damages
• You’ve consulted with an experienced attorney who recommends acceptance

However, these circumstances are exceedingly rare with genuine brain injuries. Most brain injury attorneys strongly recommend waiting until you reach Maximum Medical Improvement before considering settlement, even if that means the case takes longer to resolve.

How Government Claim Requirements Affect Your Timeline

If your brain injury resulted from negligence by New York City, New York State, a county, municipality, or other government entity, special procedural requirements significantly affect your timeline. These requirements are strict, and failing to comply can permanently bar your claim regardless of merit.

The 90-Day Notice of Claim Deadline

Under New York General Municipal Law § 50-e, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days after your claim arises. This is dramatically shorter than the three-year statute of limitations for claims against private individuals or companies.

The Notice of Claim must be a formal, sworn written statement containing specific information:

• The time, place, and manner in which the claim arose
• The nature of the claim
• The items of damage or injuries claimed to have been sustained
• The name and post office address of the claimant

For claims against New York City, the Notice must be served on the New York City Comptroller’s Office. For claims against New York State, service is made on the Attorney General’s Office and the State Comptroller.

What Happens After Filing the Notice of Claim

After receiving your Notice of Claim, the government entity typically schedules a hearing (often called a 50-h hearing) within 30 days. At this hearing, you will be questioned under oath about your accident, injuries, and damages. Your responses become part of the official record and can be used later at trial.

Following the hearing, you must wait at least 30 days before filing your actual lawsuit. However, you have only 1 year and 90 days from the date of the incident to file the lawsuit in court. This compressed timeline creates significant challenges for brain injury victims who may not understand the full extent of their damages within such a short period.

Late Filing of Notice of Claim

If you miss the 90-day deadline, you can petition the court for permission to file a late Notice of Claim. However, approval is not guaranteed and requires demonstrating good cause for the delay. Courts consider factors such as:

• Whether the government entity had actual knowledge of the essential facts
• Whether the delay prejudiced the government’s ability to investigate or defend the claim
• Whether you were incapacitated or had a reasonable excuse for missing the deadline
• Whether you were a minor at the time of injury

Severe brain injuries may provide grounds for late filing if you were unconscious, hospitalized, or mentally incapacitated during the 90-day period. However, relying on court discretion is risky, making it essential to consult an attorney immediately after any accident involving a government entity.

How to Avoid Delays in Your Brain Injury Case

While some delays are unavoidable, you can take proactive steps to keep your case moving forward efficiently.

Actions That Help Your Case Progress

What to Avoid

• Don’t post on social media: Insurance companies monitor Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms for content that contradicts your injury claims. Photos of physical activities, travel, or social events can be taken out of context and used against you.
• Don’t skip medical treatment: Missing appointments or stopping treatment prematurely suggests your injuries aren’t serious and makes it difficult to prove ongoing damages.
• Don’t talk to insurance adjusters: Direct conversations with the defendant’s insurance company can harm your case. Refer all communications to your attorney.
• Don’t exaggerate symptoms: While you should report all genuine symptoms, exaggerating or fabricating complaints destroys credibility if discovered.
• Don’t accept recorded statements: Insurance companies often request recorded statements hoping you’ll say something that undermines your claim. Politely decline and refer them to your attorney.

Understanding Settlement vs. Trial Timelines

One of the most significant decisions in any brain injury case is whether to accept a settlement offer or proceed to trial. This decision dramatically affects your timeline.

Settlement Benefits and Timeline

Settlement avoids the uncertainty, expense, and delay of trial. According to mediation statistics from New York courts, cases that settle through mediation typically resolve within 3-6 months of entering the mediation process. Even cases that settle during litigation usually resolve faster than cases that go to verdict.

Settlement also provides certainty. You know exactly what compensation you’ll receive and when you’ll receive it. Trial outcomes are unpredictable; juries can award more than expected, less than expected, or nothing at all. Settlement eliminates this uncertainty while allowing both sides to move forward.

Additional settlement advantages include:

• Lower legal costs (no trial preparation or expert witness trial fees)
• Privacy (settlement terms can be confidential, unlike public trial verdicts)
• Reduced stress (avoiding the anxiety and time commitment of trial)
• Faster payment (no waiting for appeals or post-judgment collection efforts)

When Trial May Be Necessary

Some cases must proceed to trial because settlement offers don’t adequately compensate victims for their damages. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer and you have strong evidence supporting significant damages, trial may be your only option for full compensation.

Trial makes sense when:

• Settlement offers don’t cover your documented economic damages (medical bills and lost wages)
• You have permanent disabilities requiring lifetime care
• The defendant’s conduct was particularly egregious, justifying punitive damages
• You have strong evidence and expert testimony supporting substantial damages
• Your attorney recommends trial based on similar case verdicts

According to data on New York personal injury verdicts, brain injury cases that go to trial often result in substantially higher compensation than early settlement offers. However, trial also involves risk, extended timeline, and higher costs.

The Role of Medical Experts in Brain Injury Timelines

Expert witness testimony is essential in brain injury litigation, but coordinating expert schedules and testimony adds significant time to the case timeline.

Types of Experts Commonly Used

Brain injury cases typically require multiple expert witnesses, each addressing different aspects of your injuries and damages:

Scheduling expert evaluations, waiting for reports, conducting expert depositions, and coordinating expert trial testimony can add 6-12 months to your case timeline. However, this investment is often essential for proving the full extent of your damages and maximizing compensation.

Financial Considerations During Extended Timelines

Brain injury cases that take years to resolve create financial challenges for victims and their families. Understanding your options can help you manage financial stress while your case proceeds.

No-Fee Representation

Most brain injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they don’t charge hourly fees or require upfront payment. Instead, the attorney receives a percentage of your settlement or verdict (typically 33-40% depending on the stage of the case). If you don’t recover compensation, you don’t owe attorney fees.

This arrangement allows injury victims to hire experienced attorneys regardless of their financial situation. Your attorney advances all case costs, including filing fees, expert witness fees, deposition costs, and investigation expenses. These costs are typically reimbursed from your settlement or verdict proceeds.

Managing Medical Bills

While your case is pending, medical bills continue accumulating. Several options may help manage this financial burden:

• Health insurance: Use your health insurance to cover treatment costs. Your insurance company may have a subrogation right to reimbursement from your settlement, but this is typically negotiable.
• Medical liens: Some medical providers treat personal injury patients on a lien basis, agreeing to defer payment until your case resolves.
• No-fault insurance: In motor vehicle cases, New York’s no-fault insurance covers up to $50,000 in medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault.
• Medicare/Medicaid: Government health programs cover eligible individuals, though they also have reimbursement rights.

Lawsuit Loans and Pre-Settlement Funding

Some companies offer pre-settlement funding, advancing money against your expected settlement. However, these advances typically come with extremely high interest rates and fees. Before considering lawsuit funding, discuss alternatives with your attorney.

What Happens After Settlement or Verdict?

Even after reaching a settlement agreement or receiving a favorable verdict, some time passes before you receive compensation.

Settlement Payment Timeline

After accepting a settlement offer, the defense typically prepares a release and settlement agreement for your signature. This document releases the defendant from further liability in exchange for the agreed payment. Your attorney reviews this document carefully before you sign.

Once you sign the release, the insurance company typically issues payment within 30-60 days. The check is usually made payable to both you and your attorney. Your attorney deposits the funds into their trust account, resolves any liens or outstanding bills, deducts the agreed attorney fees and case costs, and then issues your net proceeds.

Post-Verdict Payment Timeline

If you win at trial, the court enters a judgment in your favor. The defendant then has 30 days to appeal or pay the judgment. If they appeal, payment is delayed until the appellate process concludes, which can take 1-3 years. If they don’t appeal, they must pay the judgment amount plus post-judgment interest.

Some defendants or their insurers pay judgments promptly. Others require collection efforts such as property liens, wage garnishments, or asset seizures. Your attorney handles post-judgment collection, though complex collection efforts can add months to the timeline.

Conclusion: Patience Pays in Brain Injury Cases

Understanding the brain injury lawsuit timeline in New York helps set realistic expectations and avoid costly mistakes. While the extended duration of these cases can be frustrating, particularly when you’re facing medical bills and financial pressure, patience typically results in significantly better outcomes.

The three-year statute of limitations provides substantial time to fully evaluate your injuries, complete necessary treatment, and build a compelling case. However, special deadlines apply to government claims, and certain exceptions may shorten or extend standard timeframes. Consulting an experienced brain injury attorney as soon as possible protects your rights and ensures compliance with all deadlines.

Most brain injury cases take 18 months to 3 years to resolve, with complex cases potentially extending to 4-8 years. This timeline reflects the serious nature of brain injuries and the need to understand long-term complications before settling. While early settlement offers may be tempting, accepting too quickly often means leaving substantial compensation on the table.

By understanding each phase of the process, working closely with your attorney, maintaining realistic expectations, and focusing on your medical recovery, you can navigate the legal system effectively and obtain the compensation you need to move forward with your life.